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If you want a plant that produces lots of flowers, grows profusely and does not require much work, then the passionflower is for you.

II bought a passionflower plant at the Coral Gables Farmer's Market for $8. It was in a pot with the plant trained on a small trellis. At first, I was going to repot it so if I ever moved, I could take it with me.

But I decided I would need too big a pot if I wanted to include a larger trellis. So, I replanted the passionflower into the ground. I bought a nice trellis at Target.

The plant has since grown beyond my wildest expectations. During the summer, I watered it well every other day and now in the winter, have not even bothered to.

And it just keeps growing and growing. This summer it was giving me two to three blooms per day; I expect more next summer.

Though the name of the passionflower comes from long ago, I believe the passionflower is a very modern-looking blossom. Indeed, to me, it looks like a flower out of a science fiction movie.

ClassificationPassionflowers belong to the passionflower family,Passifloraceae.The passionflowers of the southern United States are in the genus Passiflora, species, incarnata.

Regions of GrowthPassionflowers grow best in tropical and subtropical areas of North and South America, though some grow as far north as Pennsylvania. Other species do well in China, Malaya and Australia.

The FlowerWhile my passionflower is nice combination of purple and green, there are different color variations. There is a greenish-flowered variety produces small berries (P. lutea) that grows in Pennsylvania.

The PlantThe passionflower's ever-climbing vine bears trefoil leaves that are numerous and deep in color. However, it may grow to try to encompass areas of your garden you would rather not have it in. You may have to prune it back because whatever its ever-exploring tendrils manage to wrap around, the vine soon covers. The southern variety bears a slightly acidic yellow fruit called the maypop. Some tropical species also bear edible fruits.